An older man exercising at the gym: the focus of the global project is on effectively managing age-related diseases and enhancing the quality of life for older adults.
A Swansea expert in ageing and health has been appointed to a key role co-ordinating an international project to improve the way in which healthcare systems manage age-related conditions.
Dr Gary Christopher, a senior lecturer at Swansea University's Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research (CADR), is one of two coordinators for the International Consortium to Classify Ageing-Related Pathologies (ICCARP).
Dr Christopher is a gerontologist working in CADR at Swansea University. His research focuses on cognition and emotion regulation in later life, including dementia.
The ICCARP project is a groundbreaking global initiative involving over 300 experts across 16 specialist working groups. It addresses the urgent need for healthcare systems worldwide to adapt to ageing populations. The focus is on effectively managing age-related diseases and enhancing the quality of life for older adults.
Formed in response to the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), the project aims to create a comprehensive framework incorporating various ageing-related changes, including metabolic, cellular, tissue, and organ-level alterations.
This new framework will be an improved method for classifying age-related pathologies. It will go beyond traditional models by integrating multiple perspectives on ageing. It will unify research across fields, helping healthcare systems adopt a more holistic approach to ageing. The framework aims to slow, prevent, or reverse disease progression, supporting individuals' health and quality of life as they age.
It will provide healthcare providers and policymakers with a foundation to design effective interventions for age-related conditions, ensuring improved care and best use of resources.
For the public, the potential benefits of ICCARP's work are transformative. It can help ensure older adults receive targeted and timely care, improve individual health outcomes, and enhance support for healthy ageing within communities.
The consortium's next steps include refining classification criteria and working closely with stakeholders to ensure the framework meets international standards.
Dr Gary Christopher of Swansea University, co-ordinator of the ICCARP project, said:
"This role is a unique opportunity to shape how healthcare systems worldwide understand and respond to the needs of ageing populations. By creating a transparent and accessible system to classify age-related health issues, we can steer healthcare towards interventions that improve the lives of older adults."
The ICCARP project is supported by a $253,200 grant from Longevity Impetus Grants. It is led by Dr Barry Bentley of Cardiff Metropolitan University and Dr Stuart Calimport of University College London.